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Meditative Movement Mastery (M3)

by Nick Lynch, Senior RKC

My friends, if you wish to obtain quality of movement and therefore increase strength you need more energy. Energy is a lot like Free Will. Dan John, in his book Never Let Go, tells us Free Will is like shaving gel. If you use it all up shaving one side of your face, you have to suffer on the other. So use it wisely. The same is true with energy.

With M3 strength training, meditation allows you the opportunity to preserve your energy until you need it. Today we’re talking about lunges and all their movement mastery. We’re also sprinkling on some meditative techniques to integrate into your program. I would like to share 3 lunge topics and 3 programs with you. This is a gift from me to you and yours. I hope it brings you good health and massive strength gains.

I have three lunge topics to share with you today:

The Overhead (OH) Lunge Technique

The One Breath Turkish Get Up (TGU)

The M3 Lunge Press

Please allow yourself the opportunity to try these programs and exercises. I think as a result you’ll find a deeper level of inner peace and outer strength gains. You’ll smile as your numbers in the gym, in your sport, at your place of work and in your home will all improve.

The OH Lunge

Clean up a kettlebell, press it OH and step your opposite KB side leg back into an OH lunge position

Tuck your pelvis directly underneath you, not forward into sway back position, just to neutral

Inhale deep into your belly so it sticks out. This puts pressure on your pelvis making you WANT to descend

Hold your breath and lower down to the ground slowly

At the bottom of the lunge, pause and imagine you’re dragging your back knee forward and your front planted heel back creating tension in all of the muscles in your legs

Exhale all the air out of your lungs until your abs begin to slightly burn

Take the biggest inhale you can and hold your breath

Come up to standing position of the TGU and repeat step 2

Repeat step 3

Come down

Repeat step 2

Switch sides

Select a step or two down from your ‘go to’ TGU bell.

The M3 Lunge Press

Same first 3 steps as the OH lunge

Count to 10 on the descent

As you very slowly descend, press a kettlebell OH at the same pace until your knee has touched the ground and the kettlebell arm is locked out OH

Count to 10 as you stand up

As you very slowly stand up, pull the kettlebell down at the same pace until your both of your knees have locked out in standing position and the kettlebell has softly landed in the rack position

Take a deep breath and switch sides

Select a step or two down from your ‘go to’ press bell. When in doubt, go light and do it right. You can always add more weight later.

I really enjoyed an article my friend Dan John wrote a while back about the benefits of classical music during workouts. Another type of music you might enjoy for a higher level of focus is Tibetan gongs. Or perhaps nothing at all but the wonderful sound of your breath matching your movement. Once you’ve determined what you’re going to be listening to, please try one of the following programs out and see how you feel. I recommend turning off your phone and eliminating as many distractions as you can. If you have any distractions that are out of your control, try to think of the distraction as a mindfulness reminder. When the distraction comes into view or within your sound or smell space, it’s reminding you to focus on your breath and focus on your technique.

Program 1 - The One Breath TGU Meditation

Select the heaviest bell you can safely perform a one breath TGU with

Perform a one breath TGU on one side

Upon completion, lie on your back and take 3 deep breaths. During breathing you should have two thoughts, one on the inhale and one on the exhale. Inhale, "I know I’m breathing in". Exhale, "I know I’m breathing out"

Perform a one breath TGU on the other side

Repeat this program for 15 minutes

Heavy swings pair well with this program. Heavy swings in particular promote breathing matched with movement. Here is a good swing program you can use to meditate and simultaneously build strength.

Program 2 - Swing Meditation

Select the heaviest possible bell you can safely swing 15 times

Swing the bell 15 times and put the bell down

Straighten up, open your palms and take 5 deep breaths

Repeat this process 5-10 sets

Dan teaches the hoop breath by having his students hold the down position of a

Nick Lynch, Senior RKC is a Strength and Conditioning Coach at Milwaukee School of Engineering University (MSOE). He owns Superb Health Milwaukee, a kettlebell studio in Milwaukee, WI. He has 13 years of full-time training and coaching experience and a lifetime of wellness education. Nick lives in Milwaukee, WI with his wife Natalie and his two children.